Pages

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Love-in-idleness

First of all, thank you to everyone for your suggestions on how to navigate Facebook – I feel so very “liked”! And thank you for making me feel a little
less silly about my coffee making inadequacy, not to mention once again reminding me
that there are quite a few kindred spirits in the world!

I have finally finished my latest project - a summery shirt and skirt combo. The look is a bit 1950s waitress, all that is missing is
a pair of roller skates and apron.

This outfit started with some very old quilting cotton with
a lovely pansy motif and an idea. I
thought that Butterick 5882 would make a lovely skirt, and the shirt portion of
Butterick 5895 was just too cute to pass by. Put them together, and this is what you get!

The original plan was foiled when I did not have quite enough
fabric. Aargh!

This is not the first time I have assumed that a cute little
blouse will require next to nothing in the way of yardage. And once again, I was wrong. When am I going to learn? Large pattern pieces do not fit on
leftover scraps!

One thing I will say: this shirt is short. Yes, I generally add a bit to a pattern’s torso length, but without a high-waisted skirt or pair of pants this is going to show the midriff, even on a petite frame.

Not to be deterred, I set out to find a contrasting fabric. Those massive facing pieces would just have to play along.

Of course, once I had my contrast, I decided that the
multi-fabric choice was going to look utterly ridiculous. But since I already had cut almost everything out, I kept going.

Turns out, I love the contrasting collar and ties! The solid color actually breaks up the busy cotton print quite nicely. So much for first impressions! I added a bit of piping to the skirt's waist seam to make the two pieces more of an outfit.

I absolutely, completely adore this sweet, elegant dress. Pansies are one of those flowers that just does not get enough love in the garment world, if you ask me, and I adore how the ones here channel a classic tapestry-esque vibe to boot.

Very pretty and the L is a nice touch. This summer I, too, will navigate Facebook for my blog, and Twitter, and Pinterest---all the things I have been avoiding! Congrats for taking the plunge. If it is any consolation, I don't know how to make coffee either.

About Me

Chronicling my adventures in creativity. I adore sewing and knitting, mostly vintage or vintage-inspired patterns. I hope this blog will inspire others to create lovely and lasting garments that speak of a past era and yet remain timeless and elegant.